Lagunitas Creek Watershed

Lagunitas Creek begins on Mt. Tamalpais, and the creek and its tributaries feed into MMWD's reservoirs. Downstream of the reservoirs, the creek is a spawning and rearing ground for coho salmon and steelhead trout, both of which are on the endangered species list. The creek is also habitat for an endangered shrimp, California freshwater shrimp. Lagunitas Creek supports one of the best populations of coho salmon, and probably the best population of freshwater shrimp, in the state. You can read our monitoring reports by clicking on any of the report links provided below.

To mitigate the effects of the reservoirs on the creek habitat, MMWD is implementing a comprehensive, long-term effort to enhance the habitat of the creek for the benefit of coho, steelhead, and shrimp. In 1997, MMWD developed the Lagunitas Creek Sediment and Riparian Management Plan. In 2011, MMWD completed a new watershed stewardship plan to reset its course of action into the future.

This plan addresses actions to be taken by MMWD, over a ten year period, to manage the habitat of Lagunitas Creek for the benefit of the aquatic resource populations of coho salmon, steelhead, and California freshwater shrimp.

Lagunitas Creek Winter Habitat and Floodplain Enhancement Project

Winter habitat for juvenile salmon and steelhead consists of conditions in the stream and adjacent floodplain that provide opportunities for feeding and growing, and for shelter from predators and high flows in the winter months before these fish migrate to the ocean. The district has successfully obtained grants to implement the following winter habitat and floodplain enhancement work:

Survey Reports and Other Documents

Lagunitas Creek fishery reports have been provided below in PDF format. Files range in size from 0.4 to 2.4 Mb. For further information about the aquatic species of Lagunitas Creek, please contact Eric Ettlinger, aquatic ecologist.